Breathing Sanctuary
by dcjp
Summary: Gil and Sara's relationship help them get through a disaster at the lab. PLEASE Read and Review! This is my first fic.
1. Chapter 1: Every Dream Inside My Soul

Authors Note: So, this is my very first fanfic attempt. I would greatly appreciate honest reviews. Thanks!

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Breathing Sanctuary

By dcjp

Chapter 1: Every Dream Inside My Soul

Sara finished wiping the remnants of shaving cream from Grissom's face with the towel that had been over his shoulder. His eyes were closed, enjoying the feel of her soft touch. She laid the towel down on the bathroom counter before lifting her hand to rub against the smoothness of his freshly shaven skin. She loved being able to see his face, see all of him. While he may not always say what he was feeling, she could always read it in his expressions; and she felt that his beard covered him, masking him and his thoughts from the world. Now he was beardless; and in Sara's opinion, much younger looking.

As her thumb brushed under his chin, Grissom slowly opened his eyes to find her gaze firmly locked on his. He could stare into her brown eyes for eternity and still not get enough of them. They could make him melt, tremble, and feel things he hadn't felt in so long just by one look from her. They held each others gaze for several moments, heat simmering between them, their breaths quickening. Grissom reached his hand up and ran it through her hair, hanging on to the ends. He laid his other arm on her waist and gently guided her to him. He could faintly smell her soft perfume still lingering on her skin after the long day. It was soft and floral, not overpowering, and uniquely Sara. It drove him crazy at work when she would lean close to him while working in the layout room or at a crime scene and her scent would perforate his mind and make him lose track of his thoughts. He had no idea how he had managed so far to keep it from the rest of the team how crazy she drove him. Like what she was doing to him now. Intoxicating him, fascinating him, and immersing him in a world far from work and his previous solitary life.

Sara's hand slowly slipped from his face, making its way down the side of his neck and to his hard chest. Her other hand joined in, slowly exploring his surprisingly toned body. She could feel his warmth through the thin worn t-shirt he was wearing. Breaking his gaze, her eyes followed her wandering hands down his torso. This was how she liked him. Relaxed and casual, and far from the harshness and brutality of the world they worked in. His arms were big and strong, and while she wouldn't admit it to the rest of the world for fear that her tough persona would be shattered, she loved it when his arms were wrapped around her and she was kept safe from the world. When her roaming hands reached the hem of his shirt, they desperately sought out the skin-to-skin contact she wanted. There was a sharp intake of breath, and when she glanced back up to look at him, his eyes were burning with the pent up desire from the past several weeks.

"Sara…" was all he managed to get out before she leaned in and kissed him. It was a soft and gentle kiss to begin with, lips sweetly exploring each other as the last agonizing month was washed away. Grissom reveled in the taste and touch of her mouth after spending an unbearable month away from her, filled with sleepless nights spent worrying if she would want him when he came back. When the kiss ended several minutes later, Grissom kept his hold on her and rested his forehead against hers, trying to bring his breathing under control.

"…I love you," he whispered against her skin as he kissed her forehead and pulled away to look at her. What he found were two brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears and the famous Sara Sidle grin spread across her face.

"I love you too," she quietly replied, a small sigh escaping her lips as she brought her head to rest beneath his chin. She let out a soft giggle before adding, "God, it feels good to finally say it."

"I know. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you. I don't know why it's so hard to tell you how I feel." Grissom stroked her hair as she snuggled into his chest, letting out a sigh of content. They stood there in each others arms for a few more moments before they were interrupted by a loud beeping coming from the kitchen.

Sara sighed, kissing his chest as she slowly released her grasp on Grissom. "That would be the lasagna. I should take it out before it burns."

Grissom watched her retreating form down the hallway before he slipped on his slippers, grabbed their now empty wine glasses, and followed her out into the apartment. It was still fairly messy. A few boxes sat in the corner, waiting to be unpacked. The main living room was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to what Grissom was used to. A dark leather couch stood in front of a stone gas fireplace, sending a comforting flickering light throughout the room. The walls were an assortment of his framed collections and Sara's vibrant choices in art. Everything was colorful, warming, and tastefully done. It was all because of Sara. He stopped by the bar separating the kitchen from the rest of the apartment and watched her as she set the table at their little dining nook and brought the food over. He grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine rack and worked on opening it while Sara lit the candle on the table.

When they were both seated, Grissom raised his glass to make a toast. "To love and happiness," he smiled, toasting her glass and taking a sip.

"To love and happiness," she repeated, also taking a small sip of wine. Sara smiled at him over the rim of her glass. She wasn't sure if it was from the wine, but she was suddenly very warm and giddy. As she looked at him across the table, she couldn't help the smile that wouldn't leave her face.

It wasn't before he had taken a few bites of his food did he notice that she wasn't moving. Looking up, he caught her gaze and smiled back. "This is excellent. It's a new recipe, isn't it?"

"It is. I tried a few new ones from a magazine while you were gone. Thought you might like some variety."

"I like everything you cook."

Sara let out a small laugh before replying. "Well, you flatter me. I'm a terrible cook and you know it."

"Well give yourself some credit…you've improved immensely the past year and a half. At least I'm no longer afraid to even try the food." Grissom smiled playfully, a more regular occurrence since he had been with her.

"True," she replied, her mock pout disappearing from her face, turning back into a smile instead. She reached over and served herself some of the lasagna from the dish. "This is actually the first time I've cooked here, since I was staying at my old place the past few weeks, trying to get everything moved over here. I did, however, get a lot of take out from that vegetarian Thai place around the block."

"We'll have to go over there and have a decent meal then, if you like it so much. It's not vegan….is it?" Grissom had a slightly disgusted look on his face. He had pretty much converted over to vegetarianism since being with Sara. At least for all the meals he shared with her. But he could not bring himself to eat vegan food. He liked his eggs and cheese.

"No, mainly just vegetarian," chuckled Sara. She had to admit that since he'd started eating vegetarian with her, he had lost all of the extra pounds he had put on the past few years. He was looking good, and everyone in the lab could tell. She definitely could.

They finished their meal in comfortable conversation, ranging from how they should organize their CDs and records to the traffic on the east coast. It was pleasant and calming. This is what Grissom enjoyed the most – coming home to Sara and forgetting about the world when in her company. Their work was hardly ever mentioned when they came home, saving that topic for the many hours they already spent together at the office. At the end of the day, he just wanted to be where she was. At first, they alternated between staying at his town home or her apartment closer to the city. That plan worked for a while, but they both soon got tired of toting clothes and laundry back and forth between their two places. After about 6 months of rotating their living arrangements, they decided to move in together. Grissom wanted to move in to Sara's place, because it was warmer and felt like her. Sara wanted to move in to Grissom's place because it was larger and further from the garish lights and sounds of the Strip. So they compromised on finding a new place, together. One that had more room, wasn't quite as sterile as Grissom's place, and was in a quieter neighborhood. They had just begun to move in when Grissom mentioned the guest lecturer position in Massachusetts. His leaving had hindered the moving process, and he had come back to Vegas to find a half empty home without Sara in it. Sara had been eager to move out of her old apartment, but it didn't feel right to her to spend the night in their new place without Grissom.

When they had finished with their dinner, Grissom grabbed the dishes and headed to the sink to start cleaning up. Sara walked over to the stereo Grissom had finished hooking up earlier and browsed through their CD collection. John Mayer's latest album started playing softly through the speakers, and Sara stood just listening to the music for a few minutes. She took a look around their new place before heading back into the kitchen to help Grissom with the dishes.

Just as they finished cleaning up after dinner, Sara's favorite song came on. The gentle melody drifted across the room, evoking past memories and timid beginnings, clouding Sara's mind and making her heart beat faster. Setting the dish towel on the counter, she slowly wrapped her arms around Grissom from behind, her hands splaying across his chest. With eyes closed, she raised up on her toes and whispered in his ear, "Dance with me, Gil?"

Grissom reached up and grabbed one of her hands, gently pulling her to the middle of the living room. He rested one hand on the small of her back and held on to hers with the other, guiding her in closer to him. He softly swayed her to the music, enjoying the faint sounds of her humming along to the song. She was like a siren to him, drawing him in with her sweet voice and beauty. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the smell of her hair as he buried his head in the crook of her neck. This is where he wanted to be – holding her, in his arms, forever. "It's good to be home. I missed you too much for words," he whispered, breathing into her neck.

Sara just wrapped her arms tighter around Grissom, and soon they were hugging each other tight, rocking back and forth to the beat of the song, and savoring the feel of holding each other in their arms. She enjoyed listening to his heart beat, a slow and steady rhythm beating almost in time with the music. Sara's heart almost ached with how much she loved him at the moment. She never wanted to stop holding him, never wanted to let go. It wasn't until the song came to an end that Sara responded. A muffled reply from against his chest, "I missed you too." When she raised her head to look at him, a single tear ran down her cheek.

With his thumb, Grissom brushed away the solitary tear, and framed her face in his hands. His eyes expressing all of his regret for leaving her without trusting her enough to discuss what he was feeling and why he had needed to go. Grissom wished that he had involved her in his decision on taking a sabbatical to take advantage of the teaching position. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, he was simply just used to making decisions on his own. It was hard changing his ways after living alone for such a large part of his life. He hoped she realized this now. Slowly, he leaned in and kissed her cheek where her tear had previously been. Next he kissed her forehead, making his way down to her other cheek, and finally lightly brushing his lips over hers. Sara responded by moving her mouth up to his, and capturing his in a passionate kiss. As it deepened, she reached up and clenched his shirt in her fists, slowly pushing him back down the hall to their new bedroom.

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Alright, I would like to ask you to please consider writing a review! I would greatly appreciate it! And I hope you enjoy chapter two!


	2. Chapter 2: Come With Me Tonight

Authors Note: I love flashback scenes. This is my take on how they first met.

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Chapter 2: Come With Me Tonight

Grissom woke up to the sight of Sara lying next to him. She was on her side facing him, her hair was splayed out over the pillow, hand draped across Grissom's chest. She slept with a slight smile on her face, which was a familiar occurrence now. Usually, Grissom wanted to kiss her smile until she woke up, but this morning he decided to let her rest. He enjoyed watching her sleep, sometimes laying there for hours as she slept. That's when he felt the most peaceful. Her slow and even breathing, serene expression, and the warmth of her skin as it rested against his created a tranquility for him. One which he never wanted to leave. But inevitably the alarm clock would go off and he would be forced to face the world again. The only thing that kept him going was knowing he could come home to this. To Sara. He reached over and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, eliciting a soft sigh from her in response to his touch.

"Mmmm….hey," she mumbled, nestling in closer to Grissom's chest, not once opening her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Time to get up and go back to work."

"Ugghh…don't want to."

"Well I suppose we can stay in bed for a little bit more," Grissom whispered as he bent his head and kissed her lips.

Sara sighed as she rolled on to her back, bringing Grisson with her. She loved starting her day like this. She used to be meticulous in her morning routine, always getting to work at the same exact time every day, and always getting there exceedingly early. Before, she would spend as much time as possible at work, because that is where Grissom was. Proximity to him was all she wanted. Now she never wanted to leave home, because home meant Grissom, and Grissom meant happiness. Finally. "Gil, if we don't get up now, we're both going to be late, and then everyone will be suspicious," Sara reluctantly sighed against his mouth in between his sweet good-morning kisses.

Grissom groaned as he stopped and looked up at her. She had a tantalizing smile across her face. "Fine, but only if I get to take a shower with you," he grinned.

"I think I can handle that," she replied, sliding out from under him and looking back over her shoulder as she made her way to the bathroom.

Grissom sighed as he watched her disappear behind the door. Sometimes he wondered how he ever managed to end up being with her. It had been about 14 years since he first met her. When he asked her to stay in Las Vegas after she investigated Warrick Brown as a favor for him, he didn't think she would agree. They had a past, and she was the same fresh and bright young woman he had met so long ago in San Francisco. But she did accept his offer, and he had cursed himself for willingly bringing a silent torture upon himself. He then spent the next five years hiding from her. He couldn't deny that he still felt the attraction to her just as he did back in California. Grissom just wasn't sure if she felt the same way. Yes, she had flirted back with him all those years ago, but she was a young Berkley Grad student, full of inquisitiveness and excitement about the world.

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_It was the first day of class in his guest lecture position at the University of California, Berkley. Gil Grissom had received an offer to teach a month-long seminar on entomology in forensics for both grad students and continuing education for those in the field of forensic science. Given his excitement over the topic of bugs and the fact that he would be in California, closer to his mother for a few weeks, he readily accepted. It had been a while since his last guest lecturer position, and he had a few new interesting cases he was going to talk about. His topic for today was on crucial initial observations of crime scenes and changing your theory when the evidence changes. Just recently he had been to the scene of a double murder in a garage, which turned out to be a perfect example in theory revolution. When the bell in the lecture hall rang to signify the start of class, he looked around and saw that he had a rather meager showing of students for the day. As he progressed through his lecture, he noticed that the audience seemed particularly disinterested in what he was talking about, and most were either staring off into the distance or sleeping. All of them but one. She sat in the second row, his apt and attuned star pupil, actively asking questions on the material and seeming genuinely interested on what he had to say._

_At the end of his lecture, the charming young woman from the second row came up to the podium as he was packing his lecturing material into his bag. "That was a very interesting lecture Dr. Grissom. My name is Sara Sidle, by the way. I hope you don't mind my asking, but what was it that made you go into the field of entomology?" she asked, as she firmly shook his hand and awaited his response._

"_I think you're the first person to ever ask me that question," chuckled Grissom as he lifted his bag to his shoulder. "Perhaps it was all the insects that would aggregate on the dead sea-gulls and other creatures on the beach I grew up on, just south of here."_

"_So you're a native Californian too? Where did you grow up?"_

"_Marina Del Rey. But I spent most of my later time in LA. I'm guessing you're also from California?"_

"_Yes, umm…Tamales Bay? Do you know where that is?" When Grissom shook his head no, she nodded. "It's a small oyster farming town in Northern Cali. Most people have never heard of it. So, you mentioned earlier that you were a coroner for about 8 years before moving out to Vegas to run the Field Services Office. What made you decide to do crime scene investigation? I'm also working at the San Francisco coroners office as a work-study position, and they keep offering to transfer me over to field work and start my training to be a CSI."_

_Grissom looked around and noticed that the students for the next class were already filing in to the room, but he wanted to keep talking with her. "Hey, do you want to go grab a coffee and talk some more about this? We need to clear out of here before this next class starts."_

"_Sure, I'd like that," she smiled, as she followed him out of the building. _

_They walked over to a popular café and ordered some coffee and scones. When they found some seats, Grissom started telling her about his experiences as a coroner and as working as a CSI in Las Vegas. She was interested in his experience, and asked him for advice on whether she should take the permanent job offer with the San Francisco crime lab. They talked for a few more hours on everything from forensic science to the California coast before Sara had to leave for work. She told him she would be coming to another one of his lectures next week, since it was required of her to stay current on the hot subjects in forensics at the moment for her job at the coroners office._

_The entire next week, he looked for her in his audience every day, scanning the crowd trying to find her face. It wasn't until the end of the week that he finally saw her again. She was back in her original seat, attentively smiling at him as he organized his lecture notes. Once again at the end of class she came up to talk with him. And once again, they ended up in the café, talking until late afternoon before she had to leave once more. Grissom was starting to enjoy her company, and hoped that she would come to see him more often in the coming weeks. However, it wasn't until the end of his last week lecturing that he saw her again. She was there early, reading a forensics journal and taking notes on it. He smiled when he saw this, and thought to himself that she would make a great forensic investigator if she was that thorough on everything she did. At the end of his lecture, he suggested they take a walk along the water instead of going back to the café, and she readily agreed._

"_So I read that the Las Vegas crime lab has moved from #14 to # 2 in the US Crime Lab rankings since you've been down there heading up the place."_

"_Well, I'm not exactly the one in charge, but I have helped bring in some more efficient techniques and more qualified employees. It is Sin City. We need people that know what they are doing."_

"_So are you enjoying Vegas then? It hasn't worn you out yet?" Sara asked as she stopped in front of a bench and took a seat, glancing over at him._

"_No, not yet. I go to work everyday, and everyday there is always something new and strange that has happened. It's actually really exciting."_

"_So you don't regret it then? That's good. I'm starting my training to be a CSI level 1 next month after I finish up my masters."_

"_I'm sure they could really use someone with your expertise in theoretical physics. No wonder they were recruiting you relentlessly. I would too if I was in their position. You're going to make an excellent forensic investigator Sara. I'm excited to see what you accomplish"_

"_Well thank you. I'll take that as a compliment," she shyly replied, trying to hide the grin that overcame her from hearing his words._

"_Here, let me give you my phone number and address so that you can write or call. I'd really like it if we could keep in touch." Grissom reached into his bag and pulled out his business card. Turning it over, he scrawled out his home phone number as well. "I'm going to start working the night shift, so you might be able to reach me more readily at home during normal hours."_

"_Thanks. I'd definitely like to keep in touch with you. You've been a great help to me these past few weeks. I appreciate it a lot. I really do."_

_They continued to talk for a few more blocks before saying good-bye. Grissom held out his hand, ready to shake hers and wish her all the best in her future. Instead, Sara leaned in and gave him a brief hug, offering a quick 'Thank you,' before turning around and walking out of his life. He watched her go with a melancholy slump to his stance, silently wishing he'd had more time to spend with her before heading back to Vegas._

_It wasn't for another six months that he finally heard from her again. Walking into the cool air-conditioned building from a scorching 100 degree day, Grissom was handed a stack of messages and a single letter from Wendy – the receptionist. He flipped through his messages as he made his way to his office, waiting until he had some privacy before turning his attention to the letter in his hand. The return address was from a Ms. Sara Sidle in San Francisco. A reminiscent expression crossed his face as he carefully opened it and started to read of her adventures as a new CSI in training and how she was well on her way to becoming a CSI level 2. When he finished rereading the letter for the fifth time, he brought out a piece of stationary and quickly wrote her a response. They kept up the correspondence for the next 5 years, writing letters back and forth, with a few phone calls in between. It wasn't until the Holly Gribb's case that he was finally able to see her again. He brought her in as a friend, someone he could trust, but also for selfish reasons. He desperately wanted to see her again._

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"Hey you…are you joining me or not?" asked Sara as she leaned out of the bathroom door, looking at him quizzically.

Grissom jumped slightly as he heard her voice drifting across the room. He must have been lost in his thoughts for quite some time. Raising his head, he caught sight of her standing there in nothing but her robe, leaning against the door frame. She really could take his breath away. After several speechless seconds, he got off the bed and slowly made his way over to her. One at a time, he slipped the robe off her shoulders, the silky garment falling into a pile on the floor. "Well, that all depends on what I get from the situation," he mumbled, pushing them both into the steamy room and closing the door behind him with his foot.

It was a hectic start to Sara's shift. After rushing out of the house without eating anything, she still didn't make it to work on time. The bustling activity at the lab was also a jolt to her senses after her luxurious and sensual morning spent with Grissom. As she briskly walked into the break room where everyone was assembled, Nick and Warrick teased her relentlessly about being flustered and kept asking who the mystery guy was. Sara could only slip sly smiles Grissom's way when no one was watching her. It was getting harder to hide her natural impulses to act casual and familiar with him. One of these days someone was going to notice her secretive glances his way, the way she brushed her hand along his arm or back, or her habit of constantly breaking a professional personal space bubble. She was getting tired of watching what she said, or how she said it, or what name to use for him when around other people. If she started calling him Gil at work, would anyone notice?

"Deep in thought?" came a rich sultry voice from somewhere behind her. Sara turned around from the layout table where she was inspecting a victims clothing for trace evidence to look at it's owner. She found Grissom leaning in the doorframe, a smile playing across his lips.

"Mmm…thinking of you," she said in a low, hushed tone. She arched one of her eyebrows when she saw Grissom's facial expression change from one of playfulness to surprise, and then quickly back again.

"Is that so? And what exactly were you thinking about me?" If she wanted to flirt openly and dangerously at work, he could play her game too.

"Somewhere along the lines of…you need to get the last of your boxes from the townhouse tonight before the realtor decides to sell your stuff with the place." She smiled at him. That definitely was not the answer he was expecting.

"Oh. Right. Well, if we drive over seperately, we could probably fit the rest of the stuff in both of the Denali's. Afterwards, how does dinner at Tamarine sound? I'm in the mood for some tofu pad thai."

"It's a date." She replied, before turning back to her work, trying to hide the large grin forming on her face.

Grissom looked out in the hallway to see if anyone was around before walking up behind her and bending down to whisper in her ear. Sara blushed as he kissed the nape of her neck before heading back out of the room. He was smiling to himself as he sauntered down the hallway when he first felt the vibrations under his feet.

"Everybody, get down!"

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Please let me know what you think! Chapter three is on its way, but I want to hear what people have to say so far before continuing. 


	3. Chapter 3: It's a Long Way Down

Authors Note: Thanks so much to all of you that read and reviewed my story so far! Sorry it's taken a bit to get this next chapter out, but I've been pretty busy with finals this past week.

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Chapter 3: It's a Long Way Down

It didn't take Sara long to figure out what was happening. Growing up in California had made her more attuned to any sort of tremors in the ground. Her home state was the number one state for earthquake activity, after all. Twice yearly drills all throughout her schooling, numerous TV shows and documentaries about The Big One, and of course her own experiences as she personally lived through each quake had been ingrained in her memory. She had experienced a few minor earthquakes since her move to Las Vegas about seven years ago, had even been at work for a few of them, but something told her that this occurrence was going to be different.

As soon as the initial back-and-forth movement started, Sara quickly ducked under the table she was working at, grabbing on to the table leg and covering her head and neck the best she could with her remaining arm. It was almost an involuntary reflex, her subconscious taking over her body movements as her mind was busy processing the overload of information from everything that was happening around her. She knew she had to protect herself, knew she should cover her head and back, shielding the most crucial parts of her anatomy. STOP, DROP, COVER, and HOLD. It was the saying she had heard continually in her earlier years at school, and now she couldn't stop it from repeating in her mind. It was almost like a mantra, her brains current best idea for the sacred verbal formula. She wondered how those words could possibly contain the perfect mystical potentiality to get her through the situation. They weren't exactly comforting or inspiring.

Sara's current location in the layout room provided an ultimate view of the main hallway running through the crime lab and when she braved a look up from her crouched position under the table, she was surprised by what she saw. The floor of the hallway was coming towards her in waves, like the ripples in a pond from a tossed pebble. The movement started out small, almost imperceptible. But from Sara's vantage point near the ground, the motion of the hallway frightened her. With each ticking second, the amplitude of the waves increased in magnitude, causing stress on the foundation of the structure and the walls holding up the building around her. It was strange how things that were normally solid and secure seemed to liquefy with the vibrations of the earthquake.

Unexpectedly, a pair of feet appeared in her line of vision, weaving from side to side as they made their way toward her. Glancing up, Sara saw Nick leaning down to crawl under the table with her. A loud yelp escaped his mouth just as he was kneeling down to the floor, the ground rising up to meet his descending knee joint. The sound was barely audible over the low din and rattling of the building being violently shaken apart. Sara stole a concerned look his way, worry evident in her expression when she saw the pain unmistakably written across Nick's face. She could see his mouth moving, spitting out muted profanities, but the sounds never reached her ears. All that was audible was the clattering of lab equipment and shattering of glassware over the low rumble of the earth moving.

Suddenly, Sara's senses detected an increase in the intensity of the shaking. The sounds got louder, deafening, as more objects came crashing to the ground. The table she was firmly holding on to started moving about, jerking from her grasp and taking on a life of its own. With both hands now free, Sara curled tighter into herself, her arms covering her head, desperately trying to shield herself from any falling debris. Nothing was in her control. The power had been taken from her, brutally yanked out of her hands. Now her fate and her life were up to nature's jurisdiction. Sara squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the reality of her surroundings. It was only a few hours ago that she was wrapped in Grissom's arms, ecstasy spreading throughout her entire being as a result of the things his hands were doing to her body.

A calming feeling stole through Sara's body as her mind drifted to thoughts of Grissom. Him in his office, brows furrowed over a stack of paperwork; him bent over a piece of evidence at a crime scene, snapping photographs or reciting odd pieces of trivia; or him at home, in the middle of a deep slumber after a rather exhaustive night spent in bed with her. And Grissom's eyes as he finally told her he loved her. She had heard those words from many people in her past, but never had they been as beautiful as they were when he had finally said them to her. She could still see his lips moving as the words rolled from his tongue, the simple phrase quelling all of the fears she held in her heart. For a few moments, Sara had succeeded in transporting herself to a different place, enjoying the memories she had created with the man she would spend the rest of her life loving.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a distant crack and then a low humming sound, a din of electrical activity, which dissipated just as quickly as it came. The lights flickered an unprolonged amount of time casting strange shadows over a once-familiar environment, and then came the inky blackness. The jolt back to reality awakened her senses, and Sara reached over with a free hand to reassure herself that Nick was still next to her. When her fingers found his hand, she grasped them, desperately needing to hold on to something familiar and safe. She had never experienced an earthquake in such darkness, definitely not one of this magnitude, and the experience was a little unnerving. Her history of primary school drills and numerous small Californian quakes had not prepared her for the situation she now found herself in.

It had only been about two to three minutes since it first began, but Sara felt like an hour had passed by as the shaking finally came to an end. She found it strange to think that only a few minutes ago she had been sitting at the table she now found herself under, trying unsuccessfully to focus on the task before her as Grissom's words resounded in her mind. Only a few moments had transpired, but everything had changed. Her world had, literally, been shaken up. The earthquake seemed to have brought with it a total destruction of the crime lab. When the shaking started to show signs of abating, Sara let out a sigh of relief for sparing them any more destruction. With the gradual diminishment of the shaking, the associated noises also waned as everything in the lab found stable ground again.

There was complete silence for a few minutes, the only detectable sounds coming from Nick and Sara's breathing. The eerie silence made it seem like they were the only two left in the building. Sara couldn't help but feel like she had somehow been transported to the Twilight Zone and suddenly all other life forms had vanished from the earth. Was she dreaming? The low creak of a door swinging open further down the hall disrupted those thoughts, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Nick? You okay?" she asked, not realizing she was talking in a whisper.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine. Just jammed my knee a little. Nothing to worry about," he whispered back, the lowered voices for some reason fitting the situation.

"You know, men always say that even if it's not true. I better not find out you've been lying to me."

Nick let out a faint chuckle before replying, "I would never lie to you Sara. I'm way too scared to get on your bad side…Should we get out and check on everyone?"

"I think it's safest if we wait a few more minutes, make sure nothing comes crashing down on us if there are any aftershocks. Which, with a quake that big, there definitely should be."

"Man that was intense. We don't get earthquakes in Texas. I hope nobody got hurt."

"Me too," Sara replied, as her thoughts once again drifted to Grissom. She sent a silent prayer asking that he had managed to find a safe place to hide. She didn't think she could handle it if anything had happened to him, not after she just got him back.

Nick noticed her sudden change in demeanor. "Hey, you alright Sara?"

"Hmm? Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seem a little down. You sure nothing's bothering you? Anything you want to talk about?"

"No, just….thinking about the clean-up. It's gonna be something."

Nick studied her profile for a moment. He had always been able to read Sara, could always understand where she was coming from. This meant he could always tell when something was on her mind, but he knew that if he pushed her too much, he wouldn't get anything out of her at all. Although, he had a pretty good idea of what - or rather whom - was on her mind. "I'm sure everyone is fine Sara. You don't have anything to worry about."

Sara's mouth formed a tiny smile, imperceptible in the darkness that surrounded them. Nick always knew what to say around her; he was always the gentleman and friend, watching out for her and making sure she was alright. She was grateful that it was him she was stuck under the table with, and not someone else. "Thanks Nick. You – ," her thoughts were disrupted as she heard movement somewhere in the building. "Did you hear that? Maybe we should start looking around."

Sara felt around her, trying to determine the location of the table in order to get out safely. Everything had shifted during the earthquake, and she was now unsure of her surroundings. Reaching under the table once she was safely out, she grabbed on to Nick's hand and helped him up. "Is your knee alright? Can you walk on it?"

Nick took a small step forward and winced, "It's pretty painful, but I'm fine for now. We just need to find a flashlight before I trip and injure my other knee."

"Is there one in this room? Wait! There's a kit in the corner. Stay here and I'll get it."

She slowly took a step forward, keeping her hands out, trying to find something solid. It was like she was a kid again, blind-folded, playing 'pin the tail on the donkey,' only this time there wasn't going to be any cake afterwards. Once her hand brushed against the wall, she used it to guide her across the room, slowly navigating around debris made invisible due to the power outage. When she located the kit, she easily found the flashlight, her hands knowing instinctively where to find it. It was the same one they used when scanning crime scenes at night. She flicked the switch and steadily shined it in an arc around her, the dim light faintly illuminating the room and it's newly arranged belongings.

"Holy mother of all destruction…."

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I also apologize if the ending seems rushed. I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible. 


	4. Chapter 4: Deep Into That Mystery

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out! First it was finals week, then I was gone for Spring break, and now the beginning of the quarter was a bit hectic. But I was finally able to finish. It's a bit short, but I wanted to get it out, so here you go...

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Chapter 4: Deep into that Mystery

The flashlight danced across what had been the Las Vegas Crime lab. The light gracing the objects, for a moment giving them life in a world of darkness, slowly showed the havoc that had occurred earlier. For the most part, the hallway had remained intact, despite the cracked walls and support beams keeping it standing. Debris littered the tiled floor, shards of glass from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the various rooms scattered throughout. Once, these hallways had been pristine, a small bit of order in their seemingly disordered job. Now, it was like the lab explosion on steroids.

From a couple of rooms down, Catherines head peeked around the doorframe. She had noticed the beam of light created by Sara's flashlight, and had come to investigate. There was a small cut on her cheek, but compared to what the earthquake had done to the building, it was merely a scratch. The building, on the other hand, would require some reconstructive surgery.

"Hey, you ok?" Sara's voice oddly echoed off the hallway walls.

"I'm fine. I'm a little worried about this place though," replied Catherine, looking up and down the hallway as she spoke. "Have you seen anyone else?"

"No, just Nick who was with me. You?" said Sara as she carefully made her way down the hallway to Catherine, stepping around large pieces of debris and trying to avoid the glass as much as possible. Nick tentatively followed.

"Nope. No one. You're the first sign of life in this place. Where is everybody?"

"Search party?" was Nick's reply, eyebrows raising in question.

Sara rolled her eyes as they started down the hallway, carefully avoiding large pieces of debris and glass. This was not how she pictured her day would end up like. In her mind, she had planned out a nice evening curled up on the couch in front of the fire, head resting on Grissoms chest as they took turns reading from their book. They had found it one day while browsing in an antique shop in a more quiet part of the city. It was an old version of _To Kill a Mockingbird_, Sara's favorite book as a child. That book was one of the few things that could bring her mind peace and comfort when the world around her decided to be cruel and unkind. She would curl up on her bed, re-exploring Scout's childhood adventures and wishing she had a father like Atticus. When she had told Grissom that she lost her copy during one of the many moves into another Foster home, he had picked it up and bought it immediately. Sara loved to hear his voice as he softly read the familiar words out loud, speaking in different tones for the different characters, his voice rumbling through his chest beneath her ear. It was one of the things she missed the most during the lonely evenings she had spent by herself while he was gone. She could definitely go for some Boo Radley right about now.

"Hey guys, over here!" Greg's voice cracked through Sara's thoughts, and she pointed the flashlight in the direction his voice had come.

"Greg? You in here?" Catherine asked as she scanned the room.

Suddenly, Greg's head poked out from beneath the lab table. "Right here. I didn't want to come out from under here, in case the roof decided to come down on me. That was one crazy earthquake. You ever been in one like that Sara? Coming from California and everything. Man…I thought a freight train was going through the building."

"Greg! You're rambling," interrupted Nick. "You coming, or what?"

As Greg made his way out from underneath the table, a few other voices could be heard from further on down the hallway. Leaning out, Sara noticed it was a few of the administration employees. They were at the front desk, trying to use the telephone. By their confused and irritated faces, Sara guessed that it too wasn't working. Something must have fallen and knocked down a telephone pole, cutting off power and all communication to the outside world. If it hadn't been nighttime, that thought would be half as scary Sara thought as she returned her attention to Greg's efforts of brushing himself off. They continued their journey down the hallway, stopping in each room to do a quick scan before moving on. Sara couldn't help but feel like they were clearing a crime scene before collecting evidence, stalking the hallways and checking each room as they went.

Every few rooms, they would come across another shocked employee, standing in the middle of the mess that had once been their workspace. There were a few injuries, most of them minor, and Nick had established a first aid station near the entrance of the lab, close to the exit in case an evacuation would be needed. Every time Sara and Catherine came across another injured person, they sent them over to Nick to receive medical attention, sometimes getting escorted by Greg. Catherine and Sara continued their exploration of the building, diligently checking each room, until they came to a branch in the hallway. When they had managed to locate another flashlight, Catherine took one hallway, and Sara took the other. She had chosen her hallway first, picking the one that contained Grissom's office, before Catherine had the chance to make a choice. Since they had yet to find him, Sara hoped that she would find him in his office, or somewhere in it's near vicinity. With the passing time, she grew more and more worried when she hadn't seen him yet. She made it a point to ask each person she came across if they had seen him, but so far nobody had.

When she reached the entrance to his office, Sara stopped and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. So far, nobody had been seriously injured, so why was she so worried that something had happened to him? She stood there for several minutes, just staring at the halo of light her flashlight created around the doorframe, the edges fading gently into blackness. Sara was suddenly aware of the darkness behind her, and for the first time in a very long while, she was almost scared of the dark. Placing her back against the hallway, she took a deep breath and then opened the door to Gil's office.

Stepping inside, Sara could immediately tell that he was not there. His desk was empty, papers spilling off the surface and a few knick-knacks were now on the floor; a few drawers had slid open, creating the impression that someone had ransacked his office. A few of the specimen jars had fallen off their shelves, freeing their now dead occupants, their escape from a life-sentence a little too late. Sara went over to the shelf holding the terrarium that contained the cocoon. Her cocoon. She wasn't really sure if it was meant as a gift, or if Grissom had sent it back for her to take care of it for him. But she preferred to think of it as hers, anticipately waiting the day that it would hatch, revealing the beauty of whatever was hidden within. Fortunately, there was no damage to the tank and the branch holding the cocoon had only fallen over from it's original position. Sara reached in and gently rearranged the stick, taking more care than was probably necessary. If it truly was hers, than it was one of a very few things Grissom had ever given her, and she wanted to take excellent care of it. With a sigh, she turned to face his desk and chair. She had hoped that when she turned around he would be sitting there, leaning back and smiling at her or bent over a file, but it was just as empty as before. Grissom was still not found, and she was still missing him greatly.

Sara avoided the decomposing organic matter spilling from some of the jars and stepped over to his desk to check underneath it and make sure once and for all that he was not in his office. When she bent down, she noticed a picture frame lying on it's face, covered in broken glass. Turning it over, Sara saw that it was Grissom's certificate of ownership for Trigger, the horse he had ridden as a small boy. She smiled at the thought of him as a child riding the horse, and the fact that he was still excited about it – now that he was over the age of 50 - to ask for a replacement certificate. And then he had gone and framed it. Sara brushed her thumb over his name once before setting it carefully down onto his desk and turned to leave.

Just as she was about to head towards his door, something in one of his open drawers caught her eye. Glancing down, she saw that it was her name written neatly on an envelope, in Grissom's controlled yet elegant handwriting. Sara picked it up, studying it for a moment, trying to decide if she should open it or put it back as she found it. The fact that he still had it in his possession suggested to her that he still planned on giving it to her, although she was unsure of when that would be. But why had he waited, and why was it still sitting in his drawer unopened? Letting the curiosity get a hold of her, Sara turned it over and opened the unsealed envelope, pulling out a neatly scrawled letter in Grissom's writing. She slowly unfolded it, feeling the coarse texture of the thick stationary in her fingertips, her tactile sensations suddenly heightened. She was both excited and scared for what she might read in the letter. Before her conscience told her to put the letter away and stop, she focused her eyes on the page and began to read the words he had meant to tell her.

_"My dearest Sara, _

_Our parting was awkward. I don't know why I find it so difficult to express my feelings to you. Even though we're far apart, I can see you as clearly as if you were here with me…I said I'll miss you, and I do…"_

He went on to quote a Shakesperean sonnet, and Sara found herself rereading the letter several more times, her heartbeat quickening as she imagined Grissom sitting at his desk writing, thinking of her. A small tear slid down her cheek as she realized that his sabbatical had affected him just as much as it had her. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him tightly, without caring who saw them or what everyone would think, and be able to show him how much she loved him. That was what was important to her in life. In fact, he was her life. He always had been. And she wished he always would be. Suddenly, Sara realized that she no longer wanted to keep their relationship a secret. She didn't feel the necessity to broadcast it over the buildings intercom system, but she didn't want to hide from the world either. She wanted to be able to live her life with Grissom to the fullest. She decided that as soon as she found him, she would tell him this, and hoped that he felt the same way.

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And please remember to read and review! 


	5. Chapter 5: You Are the One I Can Believe

Authors Note: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this next chapter out. There really are NO excuses. So _please_ don't hate me, and give me some reviews :) And thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review all the previous chapters. I'm sorry I couldn't respond to all of you, but I really do appreciate it, and hope that you will continue to review the chapters to come!

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Chapter 5: You Are the One I Can Believe In

When the crazies got crazier or the crimes more sinister or the long days longer, Gil Grissom had a trick to make his worries go away. He would close his eyes, take a few deep breaths, and think about what he loved most in his life. When he was a small boy, his thoughts would often go to the ant farm his mother had reluctantly agreed to give him, or his shaggy old dog Max. As he got older, he would often think back to the days when his family was still together, or the way the warm sand feels between his toes as he walks down the beach. The last ten years or so, his mind would drift to thoughts of Sara. Sara having coffee with him, Sara leaning in his doorway, Sara standing in front of him with tears in her eyes as he told her that he didn't want to run from her anymore. And Sara when she held his hand and smiled, the love evident in her eyes.

As he lay on the cold hard floor of the ballistics lab, thinking of Sara was all Grissom could do to keep his mind off the pain in his lower leg. It was too dark to tell, but he was fairly certain it was broken, and whatever had fallen on him was now keeping him pinned to the ground. At least the top half of his body was fine. Thinking back on the last few minutes, he realized it had probably been a bad idea to run down the hallway making sure everyone was getting to safety, and not worrying about himself. Just as the power had gone out, he quickly ducked into the nearest room to him, only to be pushed to the ground by something large and heavy.

Just as Grissom was about to close his eyes and go back to dreaming about Sara, a flash of dim light peaked through the opening of the door. Making sure it wasn't a figment of his imagination, he waited to see if it would appear again. Slowly but surely a few seconds later he saw it again, a little bit stronger than before.

"Hello?" he called out when the light disappeared. When no response came he tried again.

From far down the hallway he heard a quiet "Gil?"

"Sara! I'm in ballistics!"

He could hear her running down the hallway getting closer to him, the sound of her nearing footsteps bringing relief and a small pang to his heart. God, he loved this woman. He kept his eyes trained on the edge of the door, waiting for the image of her to appear. He suddenly felt very emotional.

When she finally came into the doorframe, he could hear her intake of breath when she saw him lying on the floor. He had heard that sound plenty of times before, but it was always in a much different situation than where he was now. Like last night when he had pinned her against their bedroom wall in their attempt to make it to bed.

"Are you hurt badly?" Her voice broke through his thoughts and he realized that she was now kneeling next to him, one hand gripping his as she shone the flashlight down the length of his body until it disappeared under the heavy object that Grissom could now identify as a large filing cabinet. When he made no reply to her question, she looked back up to study his face.

"Hey," he grinned. A strange smile came over her face, one mixed with worry and relief. She let go of his hand and reached up to run her fingers through his hair and then rest against his cheek.

"Hey. You OK?"

"Well, I think my left leg might be broken, but it feels better now that you're here."

The feel of her lips against his was soft and warm. When he opened his eyes again he saw that there were tears in hers. "Thank God you're going to be OK. When I didn't find you in your office I started to think of all the worst case scenarios. I couldn't breathe."

"Well, you found me, and I'm OK. You can breathe now."

At his comment, her eyebrow raised in doubt. "Gil, you are not OK. Look at you. You're stuck underneath a cabinet full of paperwork and sample evidence. It probably weighs a good hundred pounds at least."

"Yes, that's true." He nodded as he looked down at the cabinet that was now crushing his leg. He grimaced when he tried to move his thigh. Then his eyes found her face again. "But you found me. And everything is going to be OK now."

A small smile formed on her lips. "Well, we need to get you out of here before there are any aftershocks. The building has a lot of damage. I'm going to go grab some help. I'll be right back."

As her hand left his face, Grissom reached up and grabbed it before she could stand up and leave. He didn't want her to go anywhere. "I love you," he mumbled against her hand as he brought it to his lips to kiss her palm.

"I love you too." And with a reassuring squeeze of his hand, she stood up and disappeared down the hallway.

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_It was the third time in a row he had woken up in a state of panic. Sitting up, he tried to regain control of his breathing as he rubbed his hands across his face. Ever since Nick's abduction he had been having nightmares about the incident. The difference was that it was Sara in the box. And he could see her, screaming and pounding against the walls as her oxygen supply ran out. There was absolutely nothing he could do but stare at the screen and watch her die. Just as her body would go limp, he would wake up, sometimes screaming her name._

_The past few months he had felt their relationship become stronger. It all started when she told him about her childhood. He had sat in her living room, silently holding her hand as she cried and let all of her frustration and sorrow pour out. Then he had helped her into her bedroom, tucking her in and making her promise to get some sleep before leaving her apartment. When he closed her door behind him, he fell back against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief as he realized that she trusted him enough with this part of her past. After that day, he could feel the connection between the two of them growing – something had changed. When she was held hostage in the mental institution it made him realize that if anything ever happened to her, he would be devastated. And now, after the incident with Nick, he realized that the possibility was all too real. These thoughts had spurred on all of his nightmares, leading him to his current state – drenched in sweat, hyperventilating over the possibility that he could lose her._

_Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stepped into his slippers before making his way to the kitchen. A tall glass of water – no make that a double scotch on the rocks with some club soda – should help settle his nerves and make his attempt at sleep a little bit more successful. As he poured himself the drink, he thought back to Sara's drinking habits that had led to her suspension. When he turned on the TV, the news anchors long brunette hair reminded him of Sara. Frustrated, he turned off the TV, picked up the latest forensics journal from his coffee table, and opened to an article about using physics to determine car speed at impact. No matter where he turned, or what he tried to distract himself with, his thoughts kept coming back to her._

_Filled with an over-whelming desire to make sure she was alright, Grissom went back into his room to throw on some jeans and grab his shoes, not even taking the time to brush his hair or throw on another shirt. Grabbing his keys from the kitchen table where he had deposited them earlier along with the mail, he practically ran out of his townhouse and into his car. He could almost make the drive to her apartment blind-folded, having made it numerous times in the past, especially since his nightmares had started. Usually, he would park in the lot in front of her building and stay in the car, the light in her second floor apartment window enough to reassure him that she was fine. But when Grissom arrived to her building, the light was off for the first time._

_Grissom's fingers tapped the steering wheel in a quick beat as he sat fighting with himself over whether to get out of the car. She was probably fine. Hopefully deep in her comforters, sound asleep. A sudden image of her delicate face against the pillow helped him overcome his hesitation and he got out of the car before he could change his mind. He needed to see her face to calm his thoughts. _

_The walk up her stairs was slow, and as he neared her door, Grissom noticed his hands had started to tremble. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to say to her when and if she opened her door and saw him standing on her stoop. "Hi," or, "I just came here to make sure you haven't suffocated to death," or better yet, "…Uh…." That one was more likely, given his complete inability for the use of words when around her lately. His wordlessness stemmed from his total loss of sensible thought when he found himself in the near vicinity of her. He normally just found himself staring at her lips as she stood there and talked to him, wondering what they would feel like locked against his. Especially when they curved up into her perfect half-smile, like when she had teased him about his certificate of ownership of Trigger a couple of days ago. Now he was going to have to explain his appearance at her doorstep._

_His first knock was light, a little tentative, as he tried out his ability to breathe and function at the same time. After a minute or so with no answer, he knocked again, this time with more force. Taking a step back from the door, he composed himself as much as he could and steeled himself for her answer. It seriously felt like hours as Grissom stared at the brass numbers on her door, silently kicking himself inside for having the silly notion in the first place to come and see her. He should be in bed, attempting sleep before another rough night at work. When he finally heard her door unlocking, he breathed out a sigh he hadn't realized he was holding in._

_"Griss? What are you doing here?" The slight roughness in her voice revealing the fact that she had been sleeping. "Is everything alright?"_

_"Yeah, I just…couldn't sleep. And I had this – nevermind. I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry." He started backing away, his eyes never leaving her face in the process._

_"It's OK. Where are you going? You're just going to show up and then leave?"_

_Grissom stood still for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He didn't want to disappoint her, but he also wasn't sure if he should stay. "Well, you should probably get some sleep. I don't want to disturb you."_

_"You're not." She stared at him, waiting for his response. When he didn't seem like he was going to answer any time soon, she raised one of her eyebrows, "You can come in if you'd like. I'll put on a pot of tea."_

_Grissom quietly nodded as he timidly stepped forward into her apartment. He had been inside on only a few occasions, and still didn't feel comfortable making himself at home. Tapping his thumbs together he stared off at Sara's retreating figure._

_"Go ahead and use the couch Grissom, it's what I bought it for." She called over her shoulder, on her way to the kitchen._

_Sitting neatly on the edge of her couch, his fingers interlaced in front of him, Grissom took the opportunity to slowly examine her living room, something he hadn't had the time to do before. It was all very colorful, yet earthy, the warming tones making it feel inviting. Black and white prints as well as a few paintings hung on the walls, the throw pillows on the couch and chairs were all individually embroidered, a few priceless knick-knacks sat in opportune niches throughout the apartment – Grissom had no idea she was so artsy and put together. But it seemed to fit her; it gave her a more feminine element, and Grissom liked it._

_He could sense her nearing him without looking in her direction before he heard her. "I made you some chamomile. It should help you sleep."_

_Accepting the cup she offered him, Grissom thanked her. "Sara…"_

_She waited for him to continue, but as the silence stretched on, Sara couldn't take it anymore. "Look, I know you're probably just being concerned, and wanted to make sure I was doing alright in the aftermath of what happened to Nick, but really – "_

_"I came here because I had to see you," he quickly interrupted. "I needed to see with my own eyes that you were OK." Sara stared at him, dumbfounded, amazed that the man before her had actually admitted he cared about her. When she made no reply, Grissom added, "I came here for me, Sara."_

_"So you're trying to say…?"_

_Grissom let out a sigh before he began. "I've been having nightmares. About the kidnapping, and the box. The only difference is that it's you in the box, and that you are running out of oxygen. And you're screaming, and I know you're yelling my name, but I can't do anything to save you." Braving a glance up to her face, he saw her focused expression and continued, looking her in the eye. "I don't want to let you slip away from me anymore. I can't stand being stuck on the other side of the wall. I need you."_

_After a few moments of staring at him, her face unreadable, Sara reached over and set her cup of tea on the table. "I…um…" was all that managed to escape her lips, her mind obviously trying to process what he was sitting there and telling her. Her brow knitted together as she managed to eke out another word. "What?"_

_That wasn't necessarily the response Grissom had hoped for, but at least she wasn't throwing him out of her apartment. That had to be a good sign, right? Reaching up, he brushed a fallen strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. The look in her eyes told him that she was slightly bewildered over the situation, unsure of what he was suggesting. _

"_I once told you that I didn't know what to do about this," taking a breath, he continued on, "and I still don't, Sara. It terrifies me. And I don't even know if it's too late now, if your offer has expired or not, but I had to let you know that I'm tired of running away from you."_

_Sara took a deep shaky breath in. "It still stands. The offer, I mean."_

_A small smile formed on Grissom's lips, part relief and part happiness. "Good. Do you want to have dinner with me later…after today's shift?"_

_"Yes." Sara was still slightly speechless._

_"Good. Alright. Well I really should let you get back to sleep. I'll see you later." Grissom rambled as he got off the couch and made his way to the door. He heard a small "OK" escape her lips as she continued to sit in shock, not getting up to see him to the door. Closing it behind him, he took a deep breath. Asking her out to dinner hadn't been his intention when he had been driven by an inexplicable compulsion to see her earlier, but he was relieved that he had finally been able to express himself with words when around her. He just hoped she wouldn't change her mind about him when she saw him away from work and in a more intimate setting._

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Grissom could hear the faint sounds of two voices coming down the hall. It was definitely Sara and what sounded like Warrick. He breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't brought Greg with her. It wasn't that he didn't like the younger man, but Greg's energy and jocular behavior were sometimes too much for Grissom to handle. He did have to admit that the boy was growing up – maybe too fast. Maybe it was time to discuss with Greg the importance for having a distraction when away from work – something to take your mind off all the horrible and heinous crimes that they saw everyday and make life worthwhile again. For a while, roller coasters were Grissom's distraction. They had worked well and done their job, but Grissom would often still find himself sitting alone in his dark townhouse, drinking scotch on the rocks and wishing that his life were different. That is, until he had found the courage to confront Sara about his feelings. Now, he couldn't imagine a life without her. He had found his true happiness. He had found the person that he wanted to be with, for the rest of his life. He had found the person who knew him, inside and out, and still loved him for it. He had found the person whom he could trust completely to tell him the truth, give him advice, and help him make decisions in his life. A saying from George Elliot came to his mind, _'__What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life?'_ And it was true. He had never felt anything greater than what he felt for Sara and his life with her. So what was the point in keeping it hidden from everyone? He suddenly wanted to shout from the rooftops that he was in love with the woman. Of course, he wouldn't go to such extreme measures, but wasn't it about time to come out of hiding and live their lives out in the open like everyone else? He just hoped that she felt the same way.

Straining his ears, Grissom tried to hear any other sounds. In the complete darkness, his other senses were slightly heightened, and for the millionth time he thanked whatever higher being that might be responsible for the fact that his hearing wasn't permanently damaged and had returned to normal after his surgery. When all of his attention was put on listening, he could make out faint sounds coming from other parts of the crime lab. People were helping others that were injured get out of the building before any aftershocks could completely destroy the structure, and the two voices were coming closer. The bouncing light returned a few minutes later, bringing Sara and Warrick with it.

"Hey Griss, Sara told me about your leg. Nick is out front triaging all of the injured people, but I think we're going to need to get this cabinet off before you're going anywhere."

"OK, we're going to try and move this thing without hurting you more. Warrick, move to that side and I'll get this corner," Sara instructed as she pointed for Warrick to move to Grissoms left side. "Are you still doing alright?"

"Yeah. The pain is starting to get worse now that the adrenaline is wearing off."

"Alright, we're getting you out of here soon. Ready Warrick?"

"Ready."

"OK, on the count of three. One. Two. Three."

With more strength than she knew she had, Sara helped Warrick lift the cabinet off Grissom and set it back against the wall. She quickly bent down to make sure Grissom was alright while Warrick examined his broken leg. Without being able to say what she really wanted, all Sara could do was look at his eyes and hope that they conveyed her feelings at the moment. Grissom stared back at her with equal intensity. Reading what he hoped were his same feelings and emotions, Grissom decided to take a leap of faith.

"Hey Warrick, can you keep a secret for the time being?"

"Sure. You can count on me," Warrick assured as he stopped his search for something to support Grissom's leg as they moved him out of the lab.

"Good." And with that simple answer, he grabbed the back of Sara's head and brought her lips to his.

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Review, Review, Review!!! I'm planning 2 to 3 more chapters after this. Hopefully the next one up in a few weeks after my finals and sister's graduation is over with... 


	6. Chapter 6: When You Look At Me That Way

Authors Note: Alright, I was finally able to sit down long enough to get this next chapter written. I'm afraid I'll only be able to write one more chapter, to resolve everything, and then I'll have to say goodbye to this story. I started out having a lot of fun writing it, and the material just flowed onto the paper, but now everything seems too forced to me. So I'm sorry if the quality has gone down hill. My heart just isn't into this any more. I have a few ideas in my head for some other stories, not necessarily CSI or GSR related, but if you're interested then I hope you check them out when I'm finished!

I just wanted to do a shout out to all those who have graciously reviewed, many of you several times. I appreciate it so much! So everyone in the following list, thank you!

grissomlove, caro-gsr, Butterflybaby14, iQsa, KTarra, Grissom1, MSCSIFANGSR, GSR'er, Sasusc, Haldir's Heart and Soul, Vanessa M'Lynn, Iamcsi, twice the roque, anneruhland, Queensdrama, Mrs. Touchstone, Rozz, gsrshipper, SharonLouise, chriscarter661, Ayesha-s, Mystical G Panther, U-Luv-CSI-House-2, kiramyia, Ming, closethedoor14, sev07, inspiron, Peggy47, RenLissa, Solomynne, tinkbaby, G, BottledWater, angelkat2502, CaptainK8, GSfanatic, gsr-rocks.my.world, Ashleigh24, TymeNimo, leo99va, JaysEmm, stareagle, Forensic Nurse, anonymous01, TheRainInSpain, Britt, Elialys, onlyvegas, NickyStokes, Auntie Lib, Mollygirl, So Tru, Caroline Briand, gsr4ever, Veronica10, gnesd, NakedQuidditchFan, Errin, Print Dust, AngelicOne77, smacky30, DarkElvenPrincess4

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Chapter 6: When You Look at Me That Way

It took Sara's mind a few seconds to register what was happening, but the feel of Grissom's smooth lips across hers was enough evidence to let her know that he was kissing her…in front of Warrick. Her eyes remained closed, even after his lips had left her own. She could feel his breath against her lips, soft and warm, reminding her of how his mouth had just been pressed to hers, in a kiss, in front of Warrick. She felt the butterflies return to her stomach. When she finally opened her eyes, Grissom was staring at her, a small grin on his face. In his eyes she could find no other emotion but happiness.

"Well…" she managed to whisper when she finally found her voice. "That's one way to break it to them."

Behind her, Warrick cleared his throat. Turning around, she found him watching them, arms folded across his chest and eyebrows raised in a silent question.

"I'm guessing you're wondering when this happened?"

"Well I know you're both not ones to kiss and tell…but yeah. I mean, Nick had speculated that Griss had a girlfriend, I just never thought it would be you."

With a small smile, Sara turned back around to look at Grissom, placing a hand on his chest. "Neither did I."

"Don't worry Griss. You have my word – my lips are sealed. And congratulations to the two of you. You guys deserve this." After a few beats of silence filled with smiles shared between the two secret lovers, he added, "Hey Sar…why don't we work on getting your man out of here. I think this box will work for his leg, if you want to help stabilize it while I slip it underneath the leg."

Sara made her way to the other side of his body, tenderly wrapping her fingers around his calf muscle as Warrick lifted his heel to slide the piece of cardboard underneath. Grissom's soft gasp of pain was enough to make her heart constrict, and she winced as Warrick slowly pushed the cardboard up his leg. When it was in place, she offered to hold the sides together as Warrick secured them together with tape. She almost jumped in surprise when a large warm hand enveloped her hand resting on his thigh, grasping her fingers. Glancing up, she met Grissom's eyes. He gave a slight tug on her hand, a silent signal for her to come closer.

Sara kneeled by his side, her hand brushing through his hair before coming to rest on his cheek. His jaw line was starting to become prickly, a sign that it was getting late in the day. It was not that long ago that she had stood before him, delicately moving the blade against his skin, clearing away the growth of hair he had allowed while being away from her for a month. She had not made a single knick, keeping his skin smooth and free of cuts. When he had asked her how she had managed to do that, her response had been the many years of practice she had negotiating her knees and ankles while shaving her legs.

While she was deep in her reminiscing, Grissom moved his hand to cover the one she held against his face. When she turned her attention back to his eyes, he saw the pain she felt for him written in her expression. It made his heart beat faster at the deep caring she held for him.

"Hey, I'm going to be fine. I don't want you to worry so much."

"I know, it's just…I feel so helpless. I can't stand to see you in pain. And I can't hold your hand once we get out there. Everybody's worried, and I can't focus, and I - " Her words were suddenly cut off when Grissom placed a finger against her lips. She stared back, trying to read the expression in his eyes. Amusement? Happiness? How could he be happy at a time like this, when she felt like her life was falling apart and she couldn't have the one person by her side that she so desperately needed?

"You know...you're cute when you ramble," a smiling Grissom replied after several moments of looking into her eyes. Her furrowed brow lessened when she heard this, but still remained silent as his finger was still against her lips. "I've been thinking Sara. Mostly because I've been lying here on this cold floor with nothing else to do, but...I'm tired of hiding. Warrick knows," he said as he turned his head to glance at the man both had forgotten was in the room, "and I don't see what the point is anymore. I've realized in the past ten minutes of my life that you are the best thing that has ever come into it, and I can't think of a good reason why I shouldn't share that with the world. You know, maybe we should get married." At this, he heard Warrick cough in the background, but he could care less. What he cared about was how the woman he loved would respond to the biggest declaration of love he thought possible out of him.

A tear slowly slipped down Sara's cheek as she realized what he had just proposed. Not only did he beat her to the confession of secretly hating the fact they had to hide their relationship, but she was pretty sure he had just proposed marriage as well. Her throat was suddenly constricted, and she had to fight against the welling of happy tears that threatened to spill down her face. "I...you mean..." Why was she suddenly at a loss for words when he had finally said what she had been waiting to hear for a while now? Slowly a smile crept on her face as she gazed down at the man she loved. "...Lets do it."

At the back of the room Grissom could hear Warrick shuffle his feet. Without taking his eyes off of his now fiancée, he decided to address the man he had grown to trust over the years. "Warrick, I know I asked you to keep this a secret, but I don't think you have to worry about that any more. Sara and I aren't hiding from anything any more," he said, smiling up at the beautiful face in front of him. Sara just smiled back and leaned down to gently kiss him, sealing their deal.

"Hey Griss, I hate to break this up, but we've got to get you out of here before there are any after shocks and this building decides to come down on us. I don't want anything to happen to you or your girl," was Warrick's response as he moved toward the two. This seemed to snap Sara out of her daze, as she glanced up at him and nodded. "Right. Griss, I'm going to need you to sit up and then we'll lift you up and support you on our shoulders. You're going to have to walk on your one good leg, and Sara and I will be your other leg. You ready?" Warrick's brow lifted in question. With a nod in response coming from the man in question, Warrick glanced over at Sara to catch her attention. "Alright Sara. On three. One. Two. Three." They both pulled him up as smoothly as possible and let him adjust to standing up on his one good leg.

The three slowly made their way down the hall, Warrick holding the flashlight in his free hand, and Sara firmly grasping Grissom's in her own free hand, not daring to let go. As they reached the entrance of the building where the rest of the buildings occupants were now located, the few team members near by glanced up at their approaching figures. At Catherine's knowing smile, Grissom knew that his decision to share his pillar of strength, pardon the pun, with the rest of the world was the best decision he would ever make.

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Let me know if any of you have some good ideas for the last chapter. I have some of my own, but if you PM me with a really great one, I'd appreciate it :)


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